Change of Heart
by Mary Elizzy
Summary: Draco is obviously falling for Hermione, and Hermione thinks she's falling for Draco, but what will happen when opposites like these two attract?
1. Changes on the Hogwarts Express

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, except for a calendar.  
  
Author's note: I know, I know. Hermione/Draco romance. Not meant to be. But one can dream, yes? Anyways, this is sort of an edited version thing, so please forgive me if you already read some of it, but something seems out of place in the next chapter. Re-read it, in case I changed something. You never can tell with me;)  
  
Hermione stood on Platform 9 and 3/4 , looking for some sign of Harry of the Weasley's. She found none. She decided to get on the train, before it got too crowded, So she boarded the prefects coach. She looked around for an extra seat. The only one left was next to Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Er.mind if I sit here?" Hermione asked timidly.  
  
Malfoy's eyes widened as he looked at her, but they quickly returned to their natural state. "Oh, it's Granger. Isn't there another seat?"  
  
Hermione shook her head.  
  
"Oh. All right. Sit down, then," he said, patting the seat next to him with his hand.  
  
Hermione sat down, and took out her "Hogwarts: A History" from her bag.  
  
"There's something different about you, Granger," said Malfoy, taking a finger and putting it under Hermione's chin, and looking her in the face. He turned her head from side to side. "Can't put my finger on it though."  
  
"Get your hands off me," said Hermione, pushing Malfoy's hand away. But Malfoy was right, Hermione had changed. She had grown taller over the summer. Even though her hair was still very bushy, it was more manageable. She kept her hair back in a pony tail now, so you could see more of her face. She was no longer a little girl, she had grown up quite a bit. "Thought you would know better than to touch a filthy Mudblood like me!" Hermione said sternly, getting back to reading.  
  
"Oh," said Malfoy, looking a little put down. "Well, to tell you the truth Granger, I've been thinking. I think we should forget our differences. Give each other a chance."  
  
Hermione looked at Malfoy in shock. Draco Malfoy wanted to be friends with her? The girl he always called a filthy Mudblood? Something seemed out of place in Malfoy. And it wasn't just his asking to be Hermione's friend, it was something else, too. "Do you really mean it?" she asked.  
  
"Do I look like I don't mean it?" Malfoy asked with a serious expression on his face.  
  
"Well, no," replied a dumbstruck Hermione.  
  
"Friends it is, then!" said Malfoy cheerily, "So, Granger-Hermione, isn't it?"  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"Well, Hermione, how was your summer holiday?" Malfoy asked, actually intent upon hearing the answer.  
  
"Well, Malfoy-," said Hermione, going back to reading.  
  
"Draco, call me Draco," interrupted Malfoy, smiling. Hermione looked up at him in surprise.  
  
"Fine. Draco, my summer was fairly dull and boring."  
  
"What, you don't have a hot Muggle boyfriend?" he asked jokingly.  
  
Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise.  
  
"Oh, I guess that's a no!" laughed Draco.  
  
"How was your holiday, Draco?" asked Hermione, ignoring the laughter, going back to reading again.  
  
"Ah, well, I went on a bit of a holiday with my-" Draco paused to think, "I think my mother's third cousin's son, who's a few years older than I am. We went to America for two weeks in July," explained Draco.  
  
"Sounds like fun," said Hermione, almost ignoring what he was saying.  
  
"Yeah, we went to New York City and Boston and- Why do you read so much?" Draco asked exasperatedly.  
  
"I like to read," Hermione replied simply, "I thought you knew that already."  
  
"Well, I did know that-I mean, I do know that-but why do you like to read?" Draco asked Hermione.  
  
"I don't know. It might just be an escape for me. To get out of the real world," said Hermione, still reading.  
  
"What's wrong with the real world, though?" asked Draco.  
  
"It doesn't seem to like me very much, that's all," replied Hermione.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure the world likes you all right," said Draco.  
  
Hermione stayed silent and read. Draco sat there and looked out the window.  
  
Out of the blue, Hermione asked, "Draco, why are you being nice to me all of a sudden? Why do you want to be my friend?"  
  
"I-I don't know," replied Draco awkwardly and nervously, "S-so, y-you're a prefect?" he said, quickly changing the subject.  
  
"Yes, I have been for a year now," said Hermione, eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
"Me too," said Draco, back to his usual cool.  
  
"Erm, yes," said Hermione quietly, and she went on reading.  
  
Fifteen minutes passed, and neither Hermione nor Draco spoke. Hermione read, and Draco sat with his arms crossed, looking out the window. Then someone ran into the prefect's coach, disturbing the silence. This someone was Ron Weasley.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," said an out-of-breath Ron, "I forgot I had to come here first."  
  
"Hello, Ron," said Hermione, not even looking up from "Hogwarts: A History."  
  
Ron, just noticing Hermione, looked her way. "Hermione! Harry and I were looking all over for you, in all the coaches. But then I thought: 'Wait a minute, Hermione's a prefect! She'll be in the prefects' coach!' And then I thought, 'Wait a minute again! I'm a prefect! I should be in the prefects' coach, too!' And then-why is he sitting next to you?" asked Ron, crossing his arms, and nodding towards Draco.  
  
"I'm allowed to, aren't I?" answered Draco. He was the old Draco Malfoy again: a sneer on his face, and a drawl in his voice. "Or is Granger here property of Ron Weasley?"  
  
Ron's face turned pink. "Sh-she's not-," began Ron.  
  
"Not what?" sneered Malfoy, "Not yours? That means she's free to do what she wants."  
  
"Draco, I-," said Hermione.  
  
"Since when do you call him Draco?!?" cried Ron, his face now turning red.  
  
"He asked me to," replied Hermione quietly.  
  
"That's right, Weasley. I asked her to. I'm also allowed to be on cordial terms with a lady," said Malfoy.  
  
"What happened to her being a 'filthy Mudblood'?" asked Ron through clenched teeth.  
  
"I changed my mind, Weasley," Malfoy replied, "I can also change my mind."  
  
"Hermione, let's go. I don't want to waste my time on him," said Ron coldly. He walked to the door to the next coach. "You coming or not, Hermione?"  
  
"I'll be there in a minute, Ron," Hermione said weakly.  
  
"Fine," said Ron, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Why did you do that?" Hermione asked Draco.  
  
"Do what?" asked Draco, standing up.  
  
"I thought you said you wanted to be friends with me!" cried an almost hysteric Hermione.  
  
"I said I wanted to be friends with you. I said nothing about him," replied Draco.  
  
"Well, if you're going to be friends with me, you're going to have to be friends with Ron!" Hermione cried, walking away.  
  
"Wait! Hermione!" Draco cried, grabbing her by the arm and spinning her back around, "I-I'm sorry!" then quieting his voice he added, "I'm sorry, Hermione." Then he leaned forward, and kissed Hermione on the cheek.  
  
Hermione's hand flew up to the cheek he kissed. A look of shock was on her face as she stared at Draco. "Draco, I-," she began.  
  
"You can go now," interrupted Draco, "Weasley's waiting for you."  
  
And as Draco made to go sit down again, Hermione backed up into the door, mouth open, her hand still on the cheek Draco Malfoy kissed. 


	2. Wondering and Confusion

Hermione opened the door, and walked into the next coach, hand still on her cheek, with a dazed expression on her face. Ron was halfway down the coach, and he turned around as he heard her come through the door.  
  
"Hermione, I-why is your hand on your cheek?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione quickly dropped her hand. "I-I-."  
  
"Don't tell me that grease ball slapped you," said Ron testily.  
  
"N-no, he didn't," Hermione replied fearfully.  
  
"That's good," said Ron, "God, I can't stand him." And Ron started walking to the end of the coach, through the door, and into the next one. He stopped halfway through, and pointed to a compartment. "In there," said Ron.  
  
Hermione pulled open the door. Harry awaited them eagerly inside.  
  
"Great! Ron, you found her! In the prefect's coach?" asked Harry.  
  
Ron nodded as Hermione sat down. "Yeah, and sitting next Malfoy, no less!"  
  
"Malfoy?!? Hermione, what were you thinking?" asked Harry.  
  
"There were no extra seats," Hermione said, shrugging and sitting down.  
  
"No excuse," said Harry, "Did he talk to you?"  
  
"Yes, he talked to me," said Hermione distantly, putting her hand back on the cheek Draco had kissed.  
  
"Did he call you a Mudblood?" Harry asked seriously.  
  
"No, we just. . .talked. About summer holiday," Hermione replied, distantly again, looking out the window.  
  
"He didn't do anything cruel?" asked Ron, "Gosh, that's out of character for him. Odd, really."  
  
"Yes. . . How very odd," replied Hermione quietly, her hand still on her cheek.  
  
As Hermione gazed out the window, Draco's face came to her mind. She heard Harry and Ron talking in the back of her mind, but she didn't really hear them. She began to see Draco's face in the glass. He smiled and laughed at her, the joyous Draco she knew from the beginning of the train ride. But then the smile grew into a sneer, and his face wore a mean expression. And then his face changed yet again. It changed into a dreamy half smile, and Hermione saw herself in the glass as well, being kissed by Draco. Hermione, for a reason she didn't quite understand, felt warm inside as she watched this. Suddenly, the picture began to fade in the glass. Hermione reached out for it, as the real world drifted back into her consciousness.  
  
"Hermione, are you alright? What's the matter?" Harry asked urgently.  
  
"He kissed me. . ." said Hermione in a trance-like state. Her left hand lay on her cheek, and her right hand touched the window.  
  
"What? Who did? Ron?" Harry asked, looking from Hermione to Ron.  
  
"Hey, I didn't kiss her," said Ron, shrugging.  
  
"Draco," she said in the same dreamlike voice. She let her hand fall from the window. It was getting dark outside the train. They were getting closer to the school.  
  
"Malfoy kissed you?" screeched both Harry and Ron.  
  
Hermione jerked out of her trance. "W-what?"  
  
"Malfoy kissed you?" repeated Harry. Ron was too much in shock to reply.  
  
"I-I think he did," Hermione replied shakily.  
  
"Why? Why did he do it, Hermione?" said Harry.  
  
Hermione looked out the window. She saw Draco's face in the glass again. "There was only one seat left, next to Draco. I asked if I could sit there, he said yes. And we started talking. He seemed very nice, and kind," she said, as the Draco in the glass acted out what she was saying, "Then Ron came into the coach, and Draco changed. He wasn't nice anymore. Ron left, and I asked Draco why he acted like that to Ron. He said he wanted to be friends with me, and not Ron. I started to leave, but he stopped me. He said he was sorry. Then. . .He kissed me."  
  
"That doesn't seem like Malfoy at all. . . And why do you keep calling him Draco, Hermione?" asked Harry.  
  
"H-he-," began Hermione.  
  
"He asked her to," said Ron in disgust, " 'I'm allowed to be on cordial terms with a lady,'" he said, imitating Malfoy. "It's disgusting, that's what it is."  
  
"Hermione, you shouldn't let him do that to you! You know who he is! You know where he's coming from! Why didn't you slap him or something, like you did before?" cried Harry.  
  
"I don't know," Hermione replied quietly.  
  
As the train slowed down, Harry and Ron were still talking about the situation between Draco and Hermione. Hermione stared out the window into the dark night sky. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about what Harry had said. "You know who he is! You know where he's coming from!" The words played over and over again in her mind. She sat there wondering. Wondering about her life. Wondering why these people had chosen to change her life so dramatically.  
  
The train came to a stop, jerking Hermione out of her confusion, and back into the real world once more. Hermione stood up, forgetting entirely about Harry and Ron, and walked to the door, opened it, closed it, and walked down the hallway. She got out of the coach, and onto the platform. She began walking quickly towards an empty carriage, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.  
  
"Hermione! Wait up!" cried Draco Malfoy, running towards her.  
  
"D-Draco?" stammered Hermione, utterly surprised at his presence.  
  
"That's my name, don't wear it out," said Draco with a smile on his face, which was slightly pink from running in the night air.  
  
"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked timidly, her face turning red.  
  
"I decided to catch up with you," said Draco, catching his breath.  
  
"Oh, alright. Get in, then," said Hermione, nodding towards the carriage.  
  
"Ladies first," said Draco, bowing, and extending his arm.  
  
"Oh, all right. Thank you," Hermione said shyly, putting her hand on Draco's and stepping up into the carriage. She sat down, and waited for Draco to get in.  
  
"So, what happened to Weasley and Potter? Didn't you go with them?" asked Draco.  
  
"Oh, well, I sort of forgot about them," Hermione replied embarrassedly, "I just got up and left them when the train stopped. I really should go back and apologize," she added, making to get out of the carriage  
  
"Ah, you can do that after this," said Draco, putting his arm out to stop her.  
  
"Draco, I-," said Hermione.  
  
"About that-that kiss I gave you," Draco cut in, "I'm sorry if it surprised you."  
  
"Well, it did surprise me, Draco," replied Hermione, "But what I want to know is why all of the sudden you accept me. You certainly weren't like this last year."  
  
"Times change," Draco said seriously, looking out the window, "And so did I."  
  
"Did something happen?" Hermione asked timidly.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Draco replied sternly, "Don't pester me!"  
  
"I-I'm sorry," whimpered Hermione.  
  
"I'm sorry too, Hermione," Draco said so quietly it was a whisper, "I'm sorry for how I've acted towards you all these years."  
  
"Er, thank you?" tried Hermione.  
  
"Sorry," said Draco, jerking out of his seriousness, "So, you-you like to read?"  
  
"I thought we already established that fact," laughed Hermione.  
  
"Yea, I guess so," Draco laughed nervously.  
  
"Draco?" Hermione asked suddenly, trying to figure out what seemed out of place in Draco Malfoy, "Where are Crabbe and Goyle?"  
  
"Oh, well, I did pretty much the same thing you did. I forgot them back in the train," said Draco, blushing.  
  
"Oh," said Hermione quietly. This had been what seemed out of place, but Hermione still felt there was something left untold. But after Draco's sternness from when she had asked what was bothering him, she decided to keep quiet.  
  
An awkward silence followed this. Draco stared at Hermione, obviously thinking of something to say, and Hermione returned the stare, but did not know why she was doing so, or why Draco was doing so. And as the silence continued, the carriages were getting closer and closer to the castle, and suddenly, Hermione and Draco's carriage stopped to let them out. The door flung itself open.  
  
"Well, see you around, then," Draco said nervously. Not quite knowing what to do, he reached his hand out stiffly for her to shake it.  
  
"Yes, see you around," replied Hermione, shaking his hand, then letting go.  
  
They got out of the carriage, and the two of them made their way up to the doors of the Hogwarts castle, on opposite sides of the staircase. 


End file.
